


Elephant

by writesthrice



Category: Far Cry 3
Genre: I'm so sorry, M/M, Sorry again, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 09:44:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2807987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writesthrice/pseuds/writesthrice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Don't know how I feel about this one. Had to do it, 'cause of this song I heard (in the notes at the bottom), but it's sad as fuck. :c</p>
            </blockquote>





	Elephant

Vaas was sitting cross-legged on his bar stool like no one does anymore, relaxed, a smile painting his face. He tilted his head back and downed his drink, set his empty glass on the bar. The bartender refilled the glass without comment. Jason nodded his thanks, and sipped at his own alcohol.

“Jason,” Vaas laughed, slurring a bit, “you’re taking me home.” His hands, large and blunt, brushed against Jason’s shoulder, his leg, touching just to touch.

Jason grinned and finished his drink. “C’mon then. Let’s go.”

The younger man kept shooting glances at Vaas, who dropped off to sleep halfway home, exhausted, green eyes tracing the man’s features, memorizing them. When he parked the car, he sat for a long moment, just staring openly at his best friend.

Dark, dark eyes blinked half open, a smile quirking that seductive mouth. “Did you want to kiss me or what, pretty boy?”

Jason laughed quietly and leaned forward, but he only brushed his lips across Vaas’s temple. He hopped out of the car and went around to help the man out of the car. He lifted him easily in his arms, the slight weight of him still shocking, no matter how many times he’d lifted Vaas.

For a moment, they were quiet, Vaas leaning his cheek against Jason’s neck and Jason resting his chin on the older man’s bare head, smooth except for a jagged scar. He smiled to keep from crying, mouth pressed against that scar.

“You know, if I’d fucked you before you got sick, you’d never let me hear the end of it.”

Vaas snorted, a whuff of amusement ghosting against Jason’s neck, but didn’t answer. This is what they did; they’d get drunk, laugh, bitch about the weekend crowd, and when Vaas got deep enough in the booze, he’d make cancer jokes. Mostly, they tried to ignore the elephant in the room.

Jason finally took them in, making sure Vaas was settled on his bed before he dug for the weed. They smoked together until Jason was fucked up enough to sing for him, Vaas singing along, voice cracked and broken, but still there. Smoke drifted lazily up as they curled together, Vaas tucked into Jason’s side, and they talked and sang until Vaas fell asleep. Jason kept on talking, occasionally singing quietly, telling the man all the things he’d never said, all his regrets.

When Vaas was asleep, the elephant was harder to ignore.

A thousand times, he’d put everything on hold for Vaas, giving up his place wherever he was, whatever he was doing, dropping it in a heartbeat. Not a single thing mattered now, watching his friend sleep, feeling his weak breathing in the faint rise and fall of his chest, knowing. It didn’t matter how much he was there, no matter how he surrounded him with friends, Vaas was dying alone. And, if there’s one thing that’s really clear to him, it’s that no one dies with dignity.

His heart bled into the darkness, beat by beat, love love love, too late, too late. Nothing to do but try to ignore the elephant for a little longer. Somehow.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by, and largely stolen from, Jason Isbell's "Elephant" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHJhyrrUTgc


End file.
